codex57

Just curious. On my return flight from OGG-SFO, a bunch of people asked to move seats. Got the "sorry, but the plane is full" response. It was true. I was in the 2nd to last row and on my way to my seat, every seat was occupied. Except the very last middle row. Had a bunch of weird crap thrown on the seats.

In the middle of the flight, someone asked to sit there but the FA said it was reserved.

Other than one FA who finally sat there with only about an hour to go to do some homework (looked like college level math), the 3 seats were empty.

I couldn't quite figure out what was thrown on the seats, but they seemed like pieces of interior cabin equipment. Maybe it was just whatever they found that wouldn't be used during the flight?

Anyways, seemed like an awful waste. Not that I minded cuz it meant my family could recline without bothering anyone, but I was still curious.

lauti

This happened to me on a flight a couple of years ago IAD-CDG. As it happened, my mom got sick over the Atlantic and vomited on my seat as they were moving her to the back of the plane (TMI I know...).

Anyway, I got up and moved to the last row and an FA told me I couldn't sit there because they were reserved (same last middle row). Only when she realized that it was my mom being given medical attention and I had no choice but to sit there did she relent.

No clue why they do it either, the FAs on that flight all hung out in the rear galley and not in the seats.

flyinbob

On an ORD-LHR flight, I was in the last forward-facing row in C on the 767. The last row is rear-facing, and was empty. Before the door was closed, I asked if I could try a rear-facing seat if those remained empty. I was told by the purser that those 2 seats were "reserved". Then she scurried away. After the door was closed, the FAs set themselves up in these 2 seats, plus the 4 on the other side normally theirs. Took naps, watched the AVOD, read, etc.

Besides the fact that when a customer pays thousands of dollars for a seat, and asks to move to an "unpurchased" one they should be able to do so, what is the deal with all the breaks on 7 hour flights? It is as though pilots or FAs don't know that most people work over 8 hours without naps. I don't understand the crew reserved seating on shorter TATL flights.

UAflyer06

1) If a flight is not full, the CSR may be nice and block the last row of seats to give the crew a place to sit other than the jumpseat. While not required, it is a professional courtesy that some CSR's give to FA's. Also, this space could be very important if FA's are out in the aisle and the a/c encounters turbulence.

2) ORD-CDG...We are not just working for the 8hr12min flight (not "7"). You forget to include that we check-in 1hr15min prior to the flight, work the flight, deplane, go through customs and immigration, then have at least a 1hour ride to our hotel. Excluding the ride to the hotel, our time on duty for ORD-CDG is at least 10hr42minutes. The return segment is even longer with a duty time of at least 11hours5minutes. Again, not including travel to and from the airport.

So, those crew rests, while also being contractual, are necessary. Especially when you are working these long flights usually once a week or more.

mahasamatman

And most people aren't in safety-critical occupations either.

codex57

So just a courtesy for them then? Cuz they all hung out in the galley. I'm not complaining, just curious. Cuz the galley was a lot more fun than that row. Even the passengers started hanging out back there. It was like one big party.

Still, I'm sure some passengers would have loved to have been able to move back there. Like the family in front of me that was scattered all over the plane.

flyinbob

Tell that to the local nurse (12 hour shifts common), ER doctor, cop, bus driver, etc.

I'm not saying they shouldn't get breaks, even longer periods of time off their feet. I'm just noticing an entitlement to bump paying passengers for their comfort, and when questioned pull out the old "safety critical" argument.

FrequentPlaneTraveler

In the various examples mentioned, how are they bumping passengers?? It seems to me that they arent doing that. The passengers had access to the seats they were assigned. And yes IMO, rest of a flight attendant is a safety critical issue. You wouldn't want a flight attendant so worn out that if an emergency were to occur that they would be of no use???

UAflyer06

I understand your point totally flyinbob. However, technically speaking a paying passenger is entitled to their purchased and assigned seat. That being the case, I, like most other FA's will always try to accommodate pax if they wish to move to another seat.

marbles dad

you can request the last row at check-in or from the gate agent. the fa's will try to get you out of there but if you have a boarding pass, its yours.
but in the end, they are the crew. crazy as it may seem, you have to sit where they tell you. and complain later if you like

cl.lurker

...in other words: FA's do it, so they can have exactly what they accuse us passengers:

...more than what they're entitled to have...

PanHam

True. And, if there's some way they can squeeze less overall work out of their duties, a UA FA is probably doing it.

cheepneezy

Because the rest of us are out there trying to push more work into our duties.

Geesh, is it any wonder the contributions from the UA FAs have dried up on this board?

EsquireFlyer

Don't ER doctors, nurses, firefighters, etc. get naps when they are "on duty" but no emergency has occurred yet?

flyinbob

Naps while on duty? Called sleeping on the job. Termination can follow. Sleep periods are defined, usually after a certain number of worked hours, generally well over 8.